Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based seafood industry group Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) issued a request for proposals (RFP) to study the potential market for Alaska pollock-derived surimi in India.
The company announced the filing 24 February.
“India has long been an intriguing market for wild Alaska pollock, but the lack of an established presence in the marketplace and concerns over cold chain logistics have thus far limited exports of wild Alaska pollock products that are consumed within the country,” GAPP outgoing CEO Craig Morris said. “We very much appreciate the USDA’s support to help us execute this market research and obtain on-the-ground intelligence that can help GAPP chart a path for increased exports of Alaska Pollock to India.”
Funding for the research comes in part from a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service’s Emerging Markets Program grant, which helps U.S. organizations promote exports of U.S. agricultural products to developing countries that have the potential to become viable commercial markets. In a release, GAPP said the grant will seek to identify both barriers and opportunities for the consumption of surimi seafood made from Alaska pollock. GAPP announced it had received funding for multiple international trade missions in 2025.
GAPP is also seeking proposals from market research companies with experience in the food and seafood market in India, with the goal of understanding the current surimi and overall seafood market, as well as the barriers to consumption. As outlined in the RFP, the limited statistics on surimi usage countrywide has left an information gap for U.S. producers like GAPP to step into India’s surimi industry.
Gadré Marine Export, a Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.-based surimi manufacturer, has three surimi processing units in India, located in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Balasore.
Additionally, an October 2019 study published by Mani Sankar Dasgupta with the Birla Institute of Technology and Science identified 15 existing surimi processing plants in the country at the time, with sources producing from ribbon fish, rani fish, and lizard fish.
“The various losses, causes, and potential value-addition solutions in the Indian seafood sector need to be analyzed, and the factors such as the lack of consumer awareness and education, scattered nature of the sector, inappropriate cold chain management, and lack of unified protocols for quality assurance must be overcome,” Dasgupta wrote in 2019.
The RFP outlines four objectives, including an executive summary of findings, a market trend analysis, a survey of the already existing industry, and strategic recommendations. The document also outlines that proposals are due by 20 March, and awards will be announced the following week. Funding proposals must not exceed USD 42,000 (EUR 35,665).
